Whether or not Mika Biereth could have gone on to become a star at Arsenal will never be known, but what is certain is that the former Fulham teenager has made the best decision possible in the last couple of transfer windows.
The former Hale Ender has risen to the status of the best striker in Europe’s top five divisions following his move to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in the January transfer window from Sturm Graz, six months after leaving Arsenal in a permanent deal.
The young striker, who sealed a permanent move to the Austrian club from Arsenal just last summer had an impressive first half of the season, scoring 14 goals and four assists in 25 games across all club competitions.
Biereth found the back of the net eleven times in 16 league games, making him the top scorer in the Bundesliga before his departure, while he scored twice in the UEFA Champions League, including the lone winner over Girona at the end of November.
Biereth, 22, has scored 10 league goals in seven appearances so far in France, becoming the first player in the last 70 years to score three hat-tricks in their first seven games in the competition.
With his hat-trick against Auxerre, Nantes and Reims, all coming in the month of February, the Dane is well poised to claim the Ligue 1 Player of the month, although he faces tough competition in Ousmane Dembele, the PSG man who has also been in red-hot form since the turn of the year.
His ten goals makes him Monaco’s leading goalscorer in Ligue 1 with at least four more than any of his teammates, while only four players have more than his nine non penalty goals so far in the French topflight.
His performances in such a short period have earned him great recognition, and his affiliates to Arsenal is becoming a frequently discussed topic, even so as the English club struggle without a recognized striker.
In this article, Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi takes us through why the AS Monaco striker was let off by Arsenal, even as there were glimpses of him becoming a lethal striker in the near futute.
Why Arsenal Gave Up On Mika Biereth?
The Mika Biereth’s Arsenal Journey
Mika Biereth moved to Arsenal following his Fulham departure in the summer of 2021. At 18, he signed his first professional contract right away and joined the Under-23, making the headlines two months later for scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Chelsea in September.
After proving too good for the youth, Biereth was sent out on loan at the start of the following season for first team experience, joining Dutch outfit RKC Waalwijk. However, it wasn’t an impressive move as he was rarely played, although he did score twice in his 12 league appearances, which he did mostly as a substitute.
Upon his return at the end of the season, he joined Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership for the 2023-24 season. There, he burst into life and in just 14 league appearances before January, he already had eleven goal contributions, prompting Arsenal to recall and loan him to Sturm Graz for the remainder of the season.
In his first six months in Austria, Biereth scored in all three competition played in and finished the loan move with nine goals and three assists, playing important role in their domestic double titles success.
In the summer, Arsenal announced Sturm Graz has purchased the young striker in a permanent deal worth £4 million, which is a club record fee ever paid by the Austrian club, and Arsenal also entitled to a significant sell-on percentage on a future move.
Why Arsenal Gave Up On Mika Biereth?
The issue with Mika Biereth, unfortunately is a plague that affects all but a few Academy players at clubs of high standards. It is difficult to break into the first team unless there’s a significant club crisis and every player becomes expendable.
Being a striker does not make things easier as it is a position that comes with huge responsibility hence there is a lot of pressure attached. So much about the team depends on the one manning that particular position.
However, his time at Arsenal came when the club was getting over a rough patch, and the club had become so optimistic that they grant Mikel Arteta almost every one of his requests, and then wouldn’t risk a newbie without much experience to lead their lines.
In fairness to the club, Biereth, after becoming almost a readymade through his loan experiences, has also become used to playing regular minutes and is unlikely to settle for less. Unfortunately, there was competitions, and even the club demands the acquisition of a more proven striker.
It is also essential to acknowledge that while the soon to be Denmark international is living the form of his life with Monaco, it might have been the best decision for all parties involved, as the pressure at Arsenal could mute him, just as it did Folarin Balogun and maybe, Eddie Nketiah.
His case is not new, yet it does also highlight the difficulties clubs face in managing the transition into first team of their young talents, because no one can really predict future trajectories.
In conclusion, Biereth signed a three-year contract at Arsenal when he joined in 2021, which may suggests that the club does not want to risk losing him for free.
While he continues to star at Monaco, he could continue to develop and maybe secure a more lucrative more in the future. Still only 22, maybe one of these days could return to the Emirates Stadium, if his vision matches with that of the club.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
